Holiday Surprise
by Sora532
Summary: When Ash discovers that he won't be able to go back to Pallet Town for the holidays, Serena invites him to spend the holidays with her. However, little does Ash realize, Serena has something much more in store for him. Amourshipping featuring Yandere!Serena/Ash.


**So I've found myself becoming more and more entertained by the amourshipping fandom especially with the hints the anime has been giving us. Plus, I meant to write a holiday oneshot featuring a yandere/obsessive Serena but things happened to prevent me from doing so before now. Also, I'd like to point out to those of you waiting on updates for Road to Paradise, I have the next several chapters in the works. I should point out that what you are about to read is also my maiden voyage into this idea so I'm not entirely sure how to describe this aside from _How the heck did I manage to come up with this?_**

**Regardless, please enjoy and give me feedback and who knows. I might just write a followup of sorts if I get enough feedback.**

**Disclaimer: I don't need to tell you that I don't own Pokémon right?**

"Are you sure it's okay for us to stay with you and your mom over the holidays, Serena?" Ash had asked for what felt like the umpteenth time to his childhood friend.

"Yes Ash," Serena replied emphatically. "I'm so sure that it hurts."

The two were walking from the giant airport in Lumiose city back to Serena's hometown in Vaniville. It was blatantly obvious that the holidays were upon them and it was because of this that they, along with their other friends: Clemont and Bonnie had decided to take a break for the holidays and enjoy some quality time with their families.

The idea had been proposed after Ash had defeated Clemont in a long and hard fought battle for his fifth badge. The four of them had noticed the holiday decorations that had appeared around the gigantic city after the gym battle leading to festive feelings between all four of the heroes. The festive feelings had led to wistful memories of holidays gone by with happy moments spent with family which had led to the idea of them going back to their respective homes for the holidays before meeting at Lumiose City to resume their journey.

For Serena, Clemont, and Bonnie, this would be relatively easy.

For Ash and Pikachu…it was a bit more complicated.

"I'm sorry," the attendant told the young Pallet trainer when he'd asked to purchase a ticket back to the Kanto region. "But the tarmacs have ice on them from the last freak snowstorm that we had and it would not be safe for us to make any flights until we solve the problem." Ash wanted to point out that a strong fire type would have been able to take care of the problem without much trouble but thought better of it and bid the young woman a nice day.

"Looks like we'll be staying in the Kalos region for the holidays Pikachu," Ash murmured sadly. Pikachu squeaked sadly from his place on Ash's shoulder. He felt just as disappointed as his trainer did at not being able to go home and see all of his other pokémon friends.

Ash called his mother and professor Oak to inform them of the change in plan thanks to the latest snowstorm that had hit Lumiose City. Both had been disappointed that he would not be able to make it but neither held it against him and promised him that they would try to have a good time despite his absence. It was a shame, Ash had reflected after hanging up the phone. He'd come to miss his mother's holiday feasts from back when he was a kid and his stomach gave a small rumble at the thought of food but for once, Ash ignored it.

His pokémon had not taken his non-arrival well at all. They had all been looking forward to spending more quality time with their trainer back at the lab but the snow storm threw that plan out the window. Ash had reflected that he should have some of them brought over for a while. It'd be nice to be able to catch up with them but quickly shook the thought out of his head. He'd have plenty of time to consider that later.

When Serena had learned that Ash would not be able to go back to Pallet town for the holidays, she had immediately offered her house for Ash to stay until they resumed their journey. She had quickly called her mother who had approved the plan; Grace liked Ash a lot as well for helping her daughter become the more confident woman that she was destined to be.

The fact that Ash knew how to ride a Rhyhorn had nothing to do with it at all.

_Plus Ash and I will finally have some quality time together _Serena thought happily at the prospect of having her secret love spend the holidays with her. He had been, for the better part of her life, her ray of light. The smile on his face as he helped her back at the Pokémon summer camp had been what had driven her to keep going despite her disinterest with Rhyhorn racing as per her mother's insistence. _Plus now, I can finally make my move to make Ash mine and mine only! _She giggled internally to herself at the all the things she and Ash could do while they were alone.

Ash readily accepted Serena's offer when she proposed it but immediately felt guilty for imposing on her. Serena had reassured him more than a few times that she would be more than happy to play hostess to him for the holidays.

With the plan set, Clemont and Bonnie and Ash and Serena bid each other farewell before heading in opposite directions after exchanging presents with promises that they would not open them until the holidays.

Ash and Serena had walked mostly in silence opting to enjoy each other's presence as they watched the snowflakes fall in a light and gentle flurry. Pikachu had taken to trying to catch some while they walked, going so far as to jump onto Ash's head to get a better chance. Ash laughed at Pikachu's antics while Serena watched them fondly as they reached the city gates and proceeded to traverse through the forest road that would lead the two trainers to Vaniville Town.

"So Serena, what's Vaniville town like anyway?" Ash asked after letting Pikachu rest in his backpack as the two of them continued walking.

"It's quiet," Serena started. "I guess you could say it's like Kalos's version of Pallet town." Ash couldn't wait to see it and was tempted to challenge Serena to race him before realizing that he had no idea where it was and running off would only get them lost.

"I can't wait to see it," he expressed enthusiastically. "It's sounds awesome." Serena couldn't help the faint pink that dusty her cheeks and was intensely grateful that it was cold outside. She could blame her flushed face on the cold despite the thick jackets that she and Ash sported.

_It'll be even better when you're there with me Ash _Serena thought blissfully. She had almost lost her focus and it was only a warning from Ash that she didn't run into a tree. The two had laughed it off easily enough before pressing on with their journey.

* * *

><p>The two decided to take a short break at the Santalune City pokémon center where they reminisced about how they met each other again after Ash's first gym battle against Viola. That had probably been the most awkward introduction in Serena's life but had been elated when Ash had invited to travel alongside him and his friends after winning his first badge. She had also been incredibly flattered that <em>she <em>had been a big help to his victory.

It was not long before the pair ran into Alexa and Viola who were also spending the holidays together.

"I'm surprised that you aren't going back to Pallet town for the holidays," Alexa told him. Ash had then explained that the snow and ice had frozen the tarmacs so now all flights had been cancelled, leaving the two Kanto natives stuck until Serena had come to the rescue.

The four had decided to have a light lunch a small café not far from the gym where the four discussed holiday plans. Viola had reminded Ash that they needed to have a rematch as per his promise when he left the gym last. Ash nodded determinedly at the prospect of a good battle before Serena and Alexa steered the conversation towards more holiday related themes.

The short break that Ash and Serena had intended to take had turned into a longer conversation about holiday traditions. Serena had only glanced at the clock before gasping and grabbing Ash by the wrist before the pair ran and was dragged out of the pokémon center with only enough time for the pair to shout a hurried goodbye and happy holidays before they were gone.

"Those two make quite the pair," Viola mused out loud. Alexa nodded in agreement as they watched the interaction take place. The sisters silently bid Ash and Serena a safe journey home.

* * *

><p>"How much further is Vaniville town anyway?" Ash wondered out loud. Pikachu let out a squeak, voicing his own curiosity.<p>

"We're almost there," Serena smiled, catching sight of the familiar gates after they passed through Aquacorde town.

The two had picked up the pace and it wasn't long before they passed through the Vaniville town gates. Serena couldn't help herself as she took a deep breath and took in the familiarity that was her hometown. She had glanced at Ash and Pikachu who had imitated her.

Vaniville town may have not had the rustic appearance that Pallet town had but Serena's hometown was still quite peaceful and was still nature friendly despite the paved roads. several trees could be seen along the road and several gardens had been spread out all across town.

"This is feels just like home doesn't it Pikachu?" Ash grinned, scratching the electric type behind the ears. Pikachu let out a coo of delight as he nuzzled into Ash's hand while Serena watched on, smiling fondly.

"My house is right here," she pointed to a large two story house with a brick wall surrounding the front yard. Ash noticed a smaller house for Grace's Rhyhorn whom Ash took notice of right away as the large ground type ran out as fast as it could to meet Serena. The aspiring pokemon performer yelped in surprise as Rhyhorn tackled her to the ground before licking her face enthusiastically. The young girl laughed at Rhyhorn's enthusiasm before complaining that it tickled. Unfortunately for her, Rhyhorn would not be deterred so easily.

"Serena!" Ash gasped as he moved to her side to help when he heard the door open before he could do anything.

"What's going on out here? I heard someone scream!" a familiar voice asked sharply as the sound of a door opening met the travelers' ears. The two parties locked eyes with each other. The voice who revealed to belong to Grace, Serena's mother, smiled gently as a she shot Rhyhorn a look, prompting the ground type to stop its licking and move back to its little rhyhorn house.

The two females didn't need to say anything as they stared at each other for only a few seconds before the honey blonde girl rushed into her mother's warm embrace. Ash smiled as he watched interaction between mother and daughter while wishing that he could do the same with his own mother.

Grace had ushered them both into the house where they quickly hung up their thick coats and their hats which give Ash a little time to take a look around. The interior of the house was painted cooler gray and blue on the walls. The floors were mostly hardwood although Ash vaguely noticed the kitchenette oriented off to the side with a flight of stairs across from it.

Straight ahead was the living room with a fireplace above which had three red stockings with each of their names written on a stocking, three couches and a coffee table with a large blue rug underneath. Above the fireplace, Ash saw a large flat screen television mounted to the wall. The arrangement reminded him a fair bit like his own house albeit a little fancier than what he was used to.

But what had really taken the cake was the small pine tree that had been mounted at the corner of the house. Several different ornaments had already adorned the tree and it was clear that Grace intended to do some more decorating when he and Serena had arrived. There were also a few small presents that had already been placed under said tree. Ash and Serena had immediately deposited their gifts under the tree to accompany those that were already present.

Grace had asked how their journeys had been so far and if they've caught any new pokémon since the last time that she'd seen them. Both had nodded in the affirmative as they hurled all of their pokeballs into the air.

Ash's Talonflame, Frogadier, Hawlucha, and his newly evolved Sliggoo who had been careful not release its gooey substance on the carpet, much to Grace's relief, appeared in a flash of light. At the same time, Serena's newly evolved Braixen, Pancham, Baltoy, and Swablu had also been released. Pikachu had jumped off Ash's shoulder to join the rest of the pokémon on the ground, allowing Grace to get a better look at them.

"It's actually good that you're here since I'm almost done making dinner for you two," Grace mentioned, smiling at them. "Serena told me how much you like to eat so I made sure to make plenty." Ash had blushed at his excessive eating habits while Serena looked on innocently. "But while we wait for the last of the food to finish cooking, why don't you two help me finish decorating?"

Serena's eyes lit up at the realization as she immediately raced upstairs.

"I guess Serena really likes the holidays," Ash chuckled while Serena's pokemon looked on with interested. They definitely wanted to know what had gotten their trainer so excited.

"She absolutely does," Grace nodded. "It's her favorite time of year since that was when she'd gotten presents from you."

Ash grinned. He was glad that Serena liked what he gave her. The pink felt hat that she sported was actually once such present from his Sinnoh journey. It was at that moment that he realized that he still needed to make sure that _his _gifts made it to his friends before the holidays. But before he could do anything, Serena had reappeared with a dusty box. Ash peered over her shoulder as she almost reverently brushed the dust off and opened to box.

Inside were small ornaments in the shape of the numerous pokémon that existed in the Pokémon world. Ash couldn't get a word out before Serena had dragged him over to the three and had insisted that he help her hang up the ornaments. Ash nodded enthusiastically as he selected a Pikachu ornament to hang on one of the upper branches much to everyone's amusement as they continued decorating. Grace had deemed the tree done when she managed to place the classic golden star at the top to really give off the festive feeling.

The pokémon were interested in the proceedings and had soon found themselves hanging up holly plants and wreaths while Ash had followed with several different knick-knacks that Grace had insisted be hung up. That left Serena with what was, in her opinion, the most sacred holiday tradition in all of mankind.

Mistletoe.

"Now where should I hang this?" she murmured, her eyes darting from the plant in her hand to the possible places where she could hang it. It was times like this where she wished their house had more archways just like in her fantasies with Ash. The only difference is that now Serena could make it a reality. She had to think about it for a bit before the perfect place came to mind. Serena giggled to herself as she hung it up where she was sure she'd be able to get what she desired.

* * *

><p>"Nicely done you two," Grace smiled, admiring the decorations. The tree looked beautiful with the numerous ornaments hung up. Her eyes drifted to the holly that had been hung from the ceilings courtesy of Ash's Talonflame and Grace's Fletchling.<p>

"Thanks!" Ash and Serena made to continue decorating only for their stomachs to growl ferociously, causing the two of them to blush and laugh nervously. Grace laughed at their flustered expressions as she announced that dinner was ready.

Ash and Serena had made sure that their pokémon were fed before feasting on what Serena called "mom's home cooking". Grace had smiled and reminded them to eat as much they wanted before telling Ash that she'd taken care of all of the presents that he'd planned to send back to his friends. Ash had been relieved. There was no way he could have been able to do with the all the post offices having closed early.

"This is really good!" Ash exclaimed. Serena nodded and gushed to Ash about how amazing a cook her mother was. The two launched into a conversation about the dishes that their mothers had made in holidays past.

It was not long before the dishes were cleared and Serena had told them that she'd prepared a quick dessert while they were at the pokémon center. Grace had been impressed with Serena's macaroons as they feasted that night.

* * *

><p>"Man am I stuffed!" Ash exclaimed, leaning back in his chair while rubbing his now fully stomach with a satisfied expression on his face. He glanced toward his pokémon who were all in a similar state of contentment as they all curled around each other. Yes, even the normally stoic Hawlucha was wearing a pleased expression at the delicious meal.<p>

Grace clapped her hands together, catching Ash and Serena's attention. "It's time to pick your first holiday gift of the night!" Ash and Serena's eyes lit up at the prospect. This was by far one of their favorite traditions ever! The idea was pretty self explanatory: each person was allowed to open a single gift the night before the holidays. Grace had elected to go first and had found a life size rhyhorn plush doll courtesy of Serena. She'd noticed that unique stitching patterns that immediately told her that Serena had made this herself, prompting her to give her daughter a tight hug, prompting the young girl to smile happily. She had been working on it for quite a long time.

Next up was Serena as she picked Ash's present to her from the pile at the base of the tree. Needless to say, she was intrigued by what Ash might have gotten her. When it came to Ash, he always managed to surprise her in almost every aspect of their journey thus far from his insane strategies to winning battles to other more subtle aspects of their journeys. Serena carefully undid the wrapping paper before putting inside. She tore the box open to find a medium sized pink handbag that she'd had her eye on when she'd been window shopping for presents. How did Ash know that she wanted this and have the money to buy it on whim? She looked to Ash for an explanation and all she got was a mischievous smile. Little did she realize that league championships paid quite well even if he didn't win. The fact that he'd gotten into the best 8 or higher ensured that he could buy a few luxuries if he so chose.

Regardless, Serena tackled Ash into a hug while thanking him profusely for the present. Ash had laughed nervously while scratching the back of his head mareepishly. At least she liked her present.

Lastly, Ash chose Serena's present from the small pile. He wondered what Serena had gotten him but realized that no matter what it was, it was the act of giving the gift that really counted.

Although he would not say no to anything that would help him advance him career as a trainer.

As it turned out, that was exactly what Serena had been going fore as Ash tore the wrapping paper off the present, only to gasp in surprise at what he found inside: a container containing ten ultra balls. Buying great balls was hard enough but ULTRA balls! Still, his gaze shifted to Serena who fidgeted nervously at him as he found himself pulling her into his arms not unlike what she had done not ten minutes before.

Serena's face turned hot as his wrapped snugly around her waist while she nestled her head into his shoulder. They would have stayed like that for a long time had Grace not cleared her throat and smiled mischievously at them. Ash and Serena blushed at the look in the mother's eyes.

The pokemon had each received presents from their trainers ranging from different accessories to ketchup and other small toys that they thought were amuse their pokemon.

He suddenly felt his vision go blurry and his eyelids felt heavy. He was exhausted.

_I must be getting sleepy _Ash thought. It was a reasonable assumption to make. It had been a rather long journey because they had a bit of trouble navigating through the snow.

"Let me show you to your room, Ash," Grace suggested. The Kanto native nodded as he gestured for his team to follow them. The five reluctantly got up as they either walked, flew, or slid their way to their trainer where they were recalled. Pikachu had opted to jump onto Ash's shoulder as Grace led him away.

No one noticed the pleased smile and slightly dulled eyes on Serena's face as she watched her mother take Ash up to the guest bedroom. It was probably for the best that no one saw that expression.

_Everything is going according to plan _she thought as she held her new handbag closer to her chest.

* * *

><p>Ash awoke abruptly in his room late that night for no reason in particular. He blinked several times to allow his eyes to adjust to the darkness before realizing the peculiar situation he was in:<p>

Ash Ketchum was tied to a chair.

His brain wondered how this could have happened as nothing in his memory bank could give him any clues as to how he'd gotten into the situation. It was also at this time that he realized that he'd been gagged and that Pikachu was missing.

Ash's eyes widened in horror. His first thought was that Team Rocket had managed to sneak in and steal Pikachu while he'd been asleep. It wouldn't have been the first time that those crooks tried to do such a thing. He really needed to learn to pay closer attention to his surroundings.

Or just be a lighter sleeper...

He needed to calm down and get a grip. Pikachu needed his help and he had to be calm if he was going to get his number one partner back safe and sound. With that as his mentality, Ash took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm himself. Fortunately, the slow breathing helped Ash recapture his cool as he took another, more rational, examination at the situation. He noticed that there was no forced entry from anywhere that he could see. Team Rocket, Ash knew for a fact, were never very good at keeping their trails hidden for very long as past experience had taught him and it was that fact that brought him some relief that Team Rocket had not stolen Pikachu and Ash couldn't think of anyone who wanted Pikachu more than those three criminals. His eyes drifted to his nightstand where he noticed that the rest of his pokeballs were still present on his belt. If Team Rocket had tried to steal Pikachu, Ash couldn't think of any reason why they wouldn't steal his other pokémon while they were at it.

What that told him was that told him was that Pikachu was definitely somewhere still in the house. It was that fact that brought relief to the Pallet trainer. Now all he needed to do was find his electric type partner.

Now if only he wasn't tied to this chair…

Ash had tried flailing in an attempt to get loose but to no avail. All that had served to do was make the chair shake in sync with his flailing. The ropes had no give and it didn't help that his hands had been tied up behind the chair while his ankles had gone through a similar treatment. He still wondered who would tie him to a chair and take Pikachu if wasn't Team Rocket.

_Tink_

Ash's frantic thoughts were cut short by that peculiar sound. His head swiveled around wildly in an attempt to catch sight of the source of the sound. The noise, the noise, the simple yet intriguing noise had made itself audible once again. Ash shivered in fear of the sound. He didn't like where this was going one bit. So with that as his driving force, Ash's squirmed more violently in an attempt to at least loosen the ropes so he could escape while trying not to give away the fact that he was trying to escape.

Alas, it was not meant to be. Whoever was responsible seemed to be quite knowledgeable with the art of rope tying if rope tying could be considered an art form or had just knew a ton of knots. Maybe it was a survival training technique. Ash definitely remembered seeing experts using such tricks to make makeshift tents and fishing rods but he could not for the life of him remember how to undo them.

Not that it would have done him any good at this point.

From the corner of his eye, Ash could see the door open with a faint creak. His heart raced as a figure slowly emerged from the darkness. Ash's heart pounded in fright. Would this be the end for him? Would he never get the chance to compete in the Kalos league and prove to everyone that he was the world's greatest pokémon master?

Whatever was approaching, Ash could only hope that it was here to rescue him, the item's alignment was made as soon as his eyes make contact with it. It only scared Ash further. What was the tool that intensified Ash's fear?

A knife. A large kitchen knife.

Among the most basic forms of cutlery yet it was no less deadly than its brethren as shown in many a horror movie. It didn't help that this particular knife happened to be quite large and seemed quite sharp from what Ash could see.

Out of all the scenarios that Ash had ever been, this one would definitely take the cake as the most terrifying position that he'd ever been in. While it had been true that he'd risked his life almost regularly to help others particularly when it came to helping legendary pokemon, he'd been doing with the intention of saving someone.

That and he'd been on an endorphin high from the action and adventure that he and his friends and been through to give much thought to the potential consequences of their potential failure.

This time, _he _was the one that needed saving and not the other way around. He had neither his human or pokemon friends with him to help him out when he needed it. He was all alone and it was that realization that made Ash think that this was the worst position he'd ever been in. He really couldn't think of anything worse than well, _this_ and that was saying a lot given how often he seemed to be on the receiving end of a pokémon's attacks and end of the world calalmities.

Another noise came into place and took Ash's attention away from the shiny knife just within his field of vision as well as his depressing thoughts.

Footsteps.

Quiet ones perhaps but footsteps nonetheless. Given the sharp knife Ash had just spotted, he genuinely hoped that the wielder had good intentions with it.

_At least it's not a gun _Ash mused while trying to steady his racing heart. He recalled being held at gunpoint by the safari zone's warden back in Kanto as a threat to avoid the dragonair that resided there. He'd never admitted to anyone but he'd actually wet himself that day and it was only because of how famous the safari zone was that no one either decided to mention it or didn't notice, much to past Ash's relief.

In hindsight, Ash should have realized that people holding knives typically _did not _have good intentions with them. However, he was in for a surprise when he discovered just who was wielding the kitchen knife. The honey blonde hair and the shining sky blue eyes were a dead giveaway.

_S-Serena! _Ash thought, surprised before noticing that she had been wearing what looked like a Ms. Claus outfit complete with red hat, coat with a large ribbon around the center and a matching red skirt. The only thing missing were the boots.

Ash shook his head as his mind returned to the issue at hand: What in the world was she doing with that knife? Sure he had seen her using kitchen knives plenty of times before when she was helping Clemont with dinner but the way she was holding it reminded him of several horror films he and Gary had seen as kids before setting out on their journeys.

He'd never imagined that he'd be living one in real life and least of all as a victim.

_Serena wouldn't do something like this _Ash thought frantically. _Maybe she's here to cut the ropes? _He sincerely hoped so since his hands and feet had long since fallen asleep and he didn't like the prickly sensations that took place there.

Serena smiled even though Ash couldn't see it. She come to realize and understand her strong feelings for the Pallet trainer. His smile made her heart race. His warm brown eyes staring back her made her face flush. She admired his bravery although she couldn't help but wonder how much of it was bravery and how much was pure recklessness. However, she didn't care about that. All she cared about was making Ash Ketchum hers and hers alone as her impending actions would soon testify.

Slowly but surely, Serena made her way over to Ash's side, bare feet making no noise as they hit the floor. Her normally upbeat disposition had since vanished, not even leaving the faintest traces of her usual smile.

The first thing she did when she was at Ash's side was to pull the gag out of his mouth.

Ash gulped in as much air as he could. He thought that gag would have knocked him out despite the fact that his nose was still clear.

Ash tried to speak but Serena had shushed him with a light press of her fingers to his mouth. Ash had blinked at the interruption and at Serena's boldness. He'd never seen _this _side of her before and was at a loss for what to do before settling on just going along with it for now. It was at least reassuring that even though her disposition seemed to have changed, her hands were as warm as he knew them to be whenever they held hands for whatever reason.

"Shh…" she murmured as she stepped quietly behind Ash before pressing her cheek into his shoulder, causing him to gasp involuntarily. Ash sincerely hoped that she had the intention of freeing him from this uncomfortable prison of his. In hindsight, he should have realized that it probably wasn't going to happen given how she'd been acting so far.

_What's going on with Serena? _Ash wondered. _She's acting kinda weird and she's doing things that she wouldn't do normally…but maybe she knows why I'm tied to this chair and where Pikachu is…_

He decided to at least ask. It couldn't hurt any worse than being tied to a chair could it? "Serena, where's Pikachu? And why am I tied to a chair?"

Serena didn't reply right away. She instead wrapped her arms around his neck lovingly and nuzzled her cheek into his neck, causing him to jump in surprise…at least he would if he could. Instead, he let out a gasp of shock. There was no way that Serena, the sweet and polite Serena that he knew and come to admire would ever do such a thing. He could feel her usually cold breath in stark contrast to her warm arms trickling down his back, causing him to twitch nervously at her close proximity.

However, he did enjoy the close contact that he had with her even if he had no way to reciprocate.

Now it was obvious to the otherwise dense Ash that something was clearly off about Serena. Admittedly, he'd noticed _something _about her that had differed greatly from the rest of the people that he traveled with ever since he met her again. Actually, he could probably write a book about the differences like how she hadn't already figured out what she had wanted to do when she left home or how enthusiastic she got when it came to him in general. That said, those weren't the main issues at hand. The main concern was that something was not right with his friend and it was he felt that it was his duty as her best friend to get down to the bottom of what was going on with Serena.

But first he needed to get out of this chair.

"Um Serena, I don't suppose it would be possible for you to cut me lose would you?" Ash asked. He could only hope that Serena would agree with him but was surprised when she shook her head in refusal.

"No, I can't do that," Serena spoke for the first time. Ash was taken aback. He didn't think that she would deny him of such a basic freedom. It was a basic right that everyone shared unless they were convicted of a crime. Ash's surprise then turned to suspicion as he realized that Serena may have had a hand in his current predicament. He didn't want to believe it given that they were really good friends but everything he'd gathered from his interaction with her so far seemed to indicate that she was intent on keeping him there. "I can't let you leave me."

Ash blinked. He'd never mentioned anything about leaving Serena behind.

"If you went to Pallet town then I would be all alone and I don't think I could bear it anymore," she continued. "It's been too long since we last saw each other."

_That explains so much _Ash realized. _But at least I know for a fact that there was no way that Serena could have been responsible for the snowstorm at the airport. She doesn't have any ice type moves or pokémon strong enough to cause that amount of damage._

"But where's Pikachu?" Ash asked desperately. "At least tell me that he is okay!"

Serena giggled and that had Ash on edge for some reason. Normally when Serena giggled, he'd felt inclined to laugh with her and make her keep laughing so he could hear her beautiful voice. Her smile made his heart feel warm and light for some reason and he found himself admiring it more than he'd liked to admit. However this giggle was darker and much more ominous.

"Pikachu is just fine," she reassured the trainer. "He and all the others decided to sleep downstairs so they could be closer to the fire." Ash let out a huge sigh of relief. At least his number one partner was safe. That made being tied to a chair much more bearable before smiling at Serena.

_It's always about Pikachu _Serena thought jealously. _It's like Ash cares about Pikachu over everything else! _A dull ache settled in her chest as her mind flashed back to a few hours before where she had thought that the bond between the trainer and his pokemon was unbreakable and quite the sight to see. _But relations between trainer and pokemon beyond friendship is condemned by society _Serena realized before heaving a mental sigh of relief. What had the world come to that a beautiful girl like Serena had to fear a _pokemon _taking away the man she adored above anything and everything else.

"Well that's a relief," he smiled, despite his situation. He had since decided that some of his past adventures had now officially reclaimed the cake now that he knew for sure that Pikachu and the rest of his pokémon friends were perfectly safe and sound. He turned his attention back to his bindings before realizing that he was still stuck.

"So um…does this mean that you won't be letting me go?" Ash asked awkwardly. True, he'd been tied up before but he'd never been tied up by his friends.

Especially with friends who happened to carry large kitchen knives.

"Exactly!" Serena replied, nibbling on Ash's neck happily, eliciting another gasp from the Kanto native. "You're certainly catching on quickly today Ash! I should reward you!" Her lips nibbled affectionately on his ear before kissing his cheek. Not satisfied with that, Serena had gone after his lips and pressed against his aggressively. While she had no idea what she was doing, she did have the minor advantage of having her instincts guide her as she slipped her tongue into his mouth. Ash was too stunned to respond to Serena's small tongue battle, making her the winner by default.

Serena's upbeat disposition and seemingly endless determination were among the qualities that Ash had come to admire about her. It was like she was aspiring to become more like him in a way. She had become resolute and refused to back down and fought with every fiber of her being to defend her beliefs and to follow her dreams. Ash loved these traits about her. However, when those traits came into a play in a situation as dark as this one, it turned the beautiful young woman that he'd come to see as someone he might want to spend the rest of his life with into a sort of sickly sweet and sarcastic monster who was close to breaking.

Needless to say that Ash was terrified of his best friend at this point and was starting to reconsider whether he wanted to spend the rest of his _life _with her or if there might be someone better for him.

Bottom line: Serena in all of her kindness did not have pure intentions this night. Not that Ash had realized that despite being tied up. Even her aggressive kissing had not clued the Pallet trainer in.

Nonetheless, the fear was present within the pokémon trainer but that fear had been tempered with defiance for his potential fate. He was Ash Ketchum and he could surely find a way to win! He'd managed to come up with the most unorthodox strategies in order to come from behind and defeat his opponents in battle plenty of times in the past. The only problem this time around being was that with Serena's body draped over him, it was hard to concentrate on forming any sort of strategy especially when she had taken to nuzzling into his shoulder from behind. This problem was also compounded by the fact that Ash was still tied up and the only part of his body that he could move freely was his neck.

Regardless, Ash tried his best to keep his focus and not show how terrified he was although that had been more of a lost cause at this point. He was terrible with poker faces after all.

"There really isn't a whole lot to say," Ash admitted as he collected his remaining confidence to question the Vaniville native. "I can tell how you feel about me but what I want to know is why! Why did you pick me of all people? What is it about me that makes you want to go this far?"

Serena paused from her displays of affection to stare into Ash's brown eyes. She then proceeded to drop herself into his lap before snuggling into his chest while holding him possessively. "Do you want me to tell you a story?" she asked. She didn't bother to wait for his reply as she smiled an uncharacteristically deadly smile before launching into it.

"Once upon a time there was a girl who liked this guy that she was really good friends with. Unfortunately, the girl had to move away thanks to her mother's rhyhorn racing career and the boy promised that he would find her once he started his journey. The girl waited and waited before she had started checking the news sites where she learned that the boy had been competing in pokémon leagues. She knew that it was the boy's dream to become a pokémon master and she had been happy that he'd pursuing his dreams so she resolved to continue rooting for him and his dreams while also hoping that they would be able to meet again very soon. It was because of these leagues that the girl discovered that the boy had made friends with foolish girls that did not appreciate him for who he truly was instead of searching for the girl like he'd promised. The end."

Ash had to raise an eyebrow at the rather short yet dark story. He'd gathered that Serena had been watching his league matches whenever they came on TV or if she had managed to find them online. As Serena shifted around in his lap to get more comfortable, Ash gave more thought to his childhood friend and felt terrible about it. He couldn't even recognize her when they met again! He really had been a terrible friend to Serena yet she had been supporting him all this time without him even noticing it.

What was _wrong _with him?

"You're mad at me for not finding you sooner," Ash murmured sadly. He hated the idea of any of his friends being upset with him. "Serena, I want you to believe me when I tell you that I _was _looking for you. I really missed you when you moved away because it felt like a little piece of me had vanished along with you and it hurt, Serena. It hurt so badly. And you never told me where you had moved to. If you had well…I would have come here instead." Ash smiled shyly at his childhood friend who simply stared at him, stunned.

Serena's reply had come out of left field.

"So then why did you make friends with all those girls?" she asked sharply. "Aren't I the only girl you should need? Do I need to remind you that you're going to be with me forever?" Ash, despite being disturbed by Serena's obsession with him, had proceeded to explain how he'd accidentally destroyed Misty, May's, and Dawn's bikes had since paid them back. He'd become a mentor to May and Dawn and had been a key player in many of their contest strategies. As for Iris, Ash still didn't understand why Iris had decided to travel with him.

Serena had mulled it over as she held him tighter and more possessively. Now that she understood the relationship between Ash and the other girls, she was no longer worried about him making a move on them. However, she could not be certain of the reverse. After all, Ash was a really great guy and any girl would be lucky to have him despite his obtuseness when it comes to matters of the heart.

_I have to protect him from any of those women who would think to try to take him away from me _Serena thought vengefully as she tightened her hold on the Kanto trainer.

"But Serena, I don't think it's fair of you to call my friends fools though," Ash told her, snapping the Kalos native out of her reverie. Serena outwardly sighed and conceded that she might have gone a little bit too far but inwardly she scowled. She would consider them fools as long as their feelings for Ash persisted. That applied to anyone who would even consider trying to take Ash away from her. Regardless, she nodded noncommittally to show that she'd at least heard him even though she disagreed with him.

Ash sighed as he struggled with the bonds on his wrists. His arms were getting sore from being stuck in the same position for a long time. The same could be said about his legs which also bore Serena's weight on them as well.

"So Serena," Ash began carefully. He didn't want Serena going crazy again like she had not moments before. "If you were the one who tied me up, why did you do it?"

"It was the only way for me to get you away from everyone! I wanted to have a moment with just you and me without any interruptions from friends or family so we can be together!" Serena exclaimed. Ash blinked in surprise. Had it never occurred to the beautiful honey blonde to simply ask him for a moment alone? He rather doubted that Clemont or Bonnie would notice if they were engrossed in their inventions and the pokémon respectively and even if they did, Ash was inclined to think that they'd probably believe that he and Serena were just reminiscing about childhood memories. He decided not to point out that little bit lest his childhood best friend go berserk upon realizing it.

"Serena, I think you've been trying too hard," Ash remarked. "You have an idea of me in your head and you want me to become that ideal. I think that may have been the reason that the date we had back in Coumarine City wasn't as fun as it could have been." Admittedly neither of them had any idea of what they had been doing that time so it had turned out to just be a day out for the two and not really a date per se. "If we are destined to be together forever then surely it will happen on its own!"

Serena was a little offended by Ash's brash declaration as she shook him wildly back and forth, wishing nothing more than for him to drop everything and just give her a tight hug and proclaim his love to her and vow to never leave her side. She would happily follow Ash wherever he decided to go if he told her his feelings. However, she was glad that Ash was open to the idea of the of two of them becoming romantic partners.

Serena seemed to have forgotten that she had tied Ash to the chair in the first place so if she wanted a hug from him, she would at least have to cut his hands free.

"Why don't you like me?!" Serena asked hysterically.

"I do like you!" Ash replied back, stunning Serena into silence. "I've been wanting to tell you for a really long time but I couldn't bring myself to say it! Not until I could find the right moment!"

"When is the right moment?" Serena asked eagerly. She couldn't help the excitement she felt at indirectly learning that the guy of her dreams actually _liked _her back! She didn't want to wait for this 'right moment' that Ash had been transfixed about. She wanted her confession right now!

"I don't know," Ash replied mareepishly.

"Why not?" She asked desperately as she sought out the truth. She wanted to deepen her relationship with Ash as much as possible after all and the confession would be the key that would allow them to take this, whatever 'this' was, to the next level.

"Because," Ash paused to think about it. He knew very well that he was walking a fine line here. If he messed up, losing Serena's friendship would probably be the least of his worries. "I want it to be special. Serena, you're my closest friend and I want to share my feelings with you properly. Anything less would not be fair to you and could put our amazing friendship in jeopardy." He would have placed a hand over his heart if his arms weren't tied behind the chair.

Serena felt her heart burst with happiness. Whether or not Ash realized it or not, Ash had admitted that he liked her. He truly _liked _her! Serena sighed blissfully, delighted that Ash felt that same way about her that she felt about him.

Armed with that information, Serena, in a moment of pure boldness, pressed her lips against Ash's soft ones yet again as they'd proceeded to move closer together. Unlike her previous kisses that had been pure aggression, this one was chaste and held a deeper meaning: a promise for a brighter future for the both of them. At one point, Serena had gotten annoyed with the fact that Ash's hands were not on her waist as per usual kissing etiquette dictated. With that she reluctantly broke the kiss and picked up the knife and with a swift slash that Ash didn't know she could perform, Serena effortlessly broke the bonds binding Ash to the chair before grabbing his hands and placing them around her waist where they belonged. She smiled as she placed her lips onto Ash's lips where hers rightfully belonged.

Unfortunately, despite the joys that kissing brought, the downside was that it could only be sustained so long as they were able to breath and Ash and Serena had to separate in order to catch their breath. It was at that moment that Ash saw it. It was barely visible in the dark but the full moon's light and his adjusted eyes had helped him see it.

Mistletoe.

He looked back at Serena who grinned mischievously before moving towards his face once again. He didn't need to think as he moved his face closer to hers until their faces were such that their noses were touching.

"I love you Serena," Ash murmured. "You're the only girl for me."

"I love you too, Ash Ketchum," Serena murmured delightedly. "You're the only guy I could ever want. So Please Ash," Serena murmured as she attacked his lips yet again. "Please don't look at any other girls with affection that you've shown me here. Please keep all your affection on me and I will only look at you with all my love."

Their lips connected in another lip lock as both found bliss in the arms of the other.

**...What have I just written. Well I hope you enjoyed my first foray into writing a fanfic based on the anime. I modified Ash and Serena's teams based on confirmed information (or at least I _hope _is confirmed) in that Fennekin will _supposedly _evolve at some point as for Swablu and Baltoy, I figured those would be good performers so I slapped them in. The same could be said about Ash's Goomy who was shown to have evolved twice (I believe) in the new japanese XY opening.**


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